A New Life
by Pazazz 21
Summary: A story about a girl who gets mixed up with forces she can't control.
1. An Old Life

Arianna looked upon her home village of Linderwall from the large outcropping of Euae Roeal meaning "Sea of Rock". It was made entirely of peacock ore and was incredibly beautiful. Upon it sat a creek that flowed off of Ausmus, the healing river. She was sent up there to get a pitcher of the water for Morwen, the oldest woman in the village, by her father, the leader of the village. As she looked upon Linderwall from the outcropping, she felt a closeness to nature that she only got when she was alone and away from the rest of the people in her village. She wished to hold on to the feeling forever but with a sigh, she started down the steep path with her pitcher.  
  
She arrived at Linderwall just before nightfall. Celebration decorations were everywhere. The entire village was celebrating Morwen's 93rd birthday. Arianna hurried into Morwen's house. "Hello, sweet one'', Morwen's singsong voice called out to her from deeper inside the house. 'Sweet one' is what Morwen always called her.  
  
"Hello, Morwen. Happy Birthday, I brought you some water fro-"  
  
"Oh yes, yes," Morwen interrupted her, "I may be ninety-three, but I feel like sixty-five! Now go, go! Enjoy yourself! I'll be out in a bit." She shooed Arianna out the door. Good ol' Morwen, thought Arianna, she's got an unbeatable spirit. She sat the pitcher down and walked outside. Outside, her father was waiting for her.  
  
"Arianna," he said, "How was your trip?"  
  
"Fine," she replied as she wrapped her arms around his waist (which was a bit difficult since she was taller than him).  
  
"What is this?" he asked, tucking some of her long, blonde hair behind her ears, revealing a small scratch that was drawing blood.  
  
"Just some of the thorns on the way down. I just wasn't being very careful." But before he could answer, two young girls approached them.  
  
"There you are!" exclaimed the shorter redhead.  
  
"We've been looking all over for you!" said the taller brunette, wiping her forehead.  
  
"Hello Kath, Rhysati," Ari said.  
  
"Why don't you go and enjoy yourself?" suggested her father. "I'll be around." Ari squeezed her father a little tighter and then ran off behind her 2 friends.  
  
Kath, Rhysati, and Ari found plenty to do. They gossiped about the rest of the people in the village, talked about how young Morwen seemed to be, told stories, listened to other people tell stories, and danced. A lot. They danced until their feet started to tingle. After they got tired of doing that, they wondered around and found Ari's two older brother's, Remart and Kyrtan, getting ready to do a swordfight. Even though it was just for show, she still got knots in her stomach every time they did it, no matter how many times they'd practiced it before.  
  
Remart, the older of the two, waved them closer. Slightly short and stocky with unruly brown hair and brown eyes, he was practically a mirror image of their father, except her father was a bit taller. Kyrtan, on the other hand, was slightly taller than Remart (though not as tall as Ari) but with a very athletic build, curly but not unruly hair light brown hair and hazel eyes, she could see why he had captured many a young girl's heart, including Rhysati.  
  
Remart leaned on his sword making him look even shorter than he really was. "Came to tell us you don't have a good feeling about this?" he asked mockingly. She said that every time, but this time, she did. Like a shadow of danger, a dark cloud covering her vision enveloping the entire village. She shook it off. It was nothing.  
  
"Well..." she started. Kyrtan laughed, throwing his head back.  
  
"Don't worry," he said. "We've been practicing this for what seems like forever."  
  
"I guess," she said, still not entirely convinced. "But I do wish you'd teach me a little more about how to use a sword so I could understand what you're doing."  
  
"You don't need to know how to use a sword. You're a girl!" Remart said in his impatient way.  
  
Just then, Cimorene, another of the girls in the village, ran up to Arianna. "Ari, Ari!" she yelled, "Where is Morwen? It's been 4 hours since you came down from Euae Roeal and we haven't seen her since!"  
  
"Oh, no!" Ari grumbled, tripping over her long dress while running towards Morwen's house. "I'm sure she's fine!" she yelled back to them, none too reassuringly. Was that the danger she sensed? She had been so caught up with Kath and Rhysati that she hadn't noticed if Morwen had come out of the house! It was already the dark of night, which made it a bit difficult to navigate, but the lights from the town square were sufficient enough.  
  
By the time she arrived at Morwen's house, her father was already there. "Ari! Hurry and go back Euae Roeal to get a pitcher of water!" She just sat there and stared at Morwen. All of Morwen's muscles were having spasms. "GO!" yelled her father. Ari grabbed the pitcher she had left before and stumbled blindly out of the house. Because of the dim light, she tripped, on what she didn't know, but she dropped the pitcher. Ari cursed under her breath not caring what was or wasn't proper for a young lady anymore and ran into the town square.  
  
She grabbed one of the pitchers and emptied out its contents. Many people yelled and shouted at this but she didn't care. She took the pitcher and ran to the path up to Euae Roeal.  
  
If she wasn't being careful last time when she got a scratch, she was legally blind now. Which was partly true since she hadn't bothered to bring a light with her so she had to feel her way up the path, getting many thorns stuck in her skin and many more ripping at her dress.  
  
After about an hour, she finally got to the top, but she had to stop to catch her breath. She had made good time; it usually took 2 hours to get up. Now she was afraid she would spend that extra time catching her breath. If only her father had let her practice with her brother's, this wouldn't be happening! She forced herself to get up and fill the pitcher. A sound. What was that? Ari looked behind her but could only see blackness. Her 'danger sense' flared. Something growled behind her. Before she got a chance to scream, a sword hilt hit her squarely on the forehead. 


	2. Lives Destroyed

Arianna awoke sometime in the light before dawn, quite disoriented. She looked around. She was on top of Euae Roeal, near the creek. Her crimson dress was very torn and was missing all of the silver and gold decorations on it. Something warm trickled down her nose and by her eye. She put her hand to he forehead, noticing a very sharp, intense pain radiating from a giant bump that was drawing blood. What happened? How long was she up there? Why hadn't anyone come looking for her? And how was Morwen? Morwen! She needed to get to Morwen! She looked around from her pitcher, but only found shards of it lying around her. She'd have to go down and get another one. Could she afford to wait that long? Ari decided to ask questions later. She washed off her forehead, and then started down the path, still feeling that danger she had felt the night before.  
  
_________________  
  
When she was close enough to the ground to see her village, her throat tightened and her fists clenched. Tears started to brim in her eyes. Her entire village was devastated. Roofs of houses were burned down, all of the celebration décor torn down. An unheard scream arose in her throat but she choked it back. She ran up to the Gate of Linderwall, which had been demolished, and stepped on a body. She looked down and quickly backed away. A dead body of... something lay there. It was hideous. As she looked around even more of those somethings were laying around, dead, strewn through the entire village, along with humans. Not just any men, her people. It looked like it was a surprise attack, her people caught off guard. Even women lay in the streets. She tried to force herself to scan the dead bodies to look for her father, but she couldn't do it. Such evil, her head was splitting. She didn't know exactly where to go or what to do, so she started towards her house. Before she could think anything else one of the things emerged from a street opposite of hers.  
  
Before the thing could see her, she ducked behind one of the statues of her father's ancestors. The first thing (that seemed to be in charge) was soon joined by another thing. They quickly got into the shadow of a building. For about the next ten to fifteen minutes they talked in low voices, but since Ari always seem to have very good hearing, she could tell they were speaking in another language anyways. She decided that while they were busy talking, she should get to better cover in case more of them came.  
  
She bent down and ran towards the building closest to her side. She stood there for a little while, and then heard a thing coming her way. She found a door and went into the building. She crouched beneath the broken-in window just before the ugly thing came by. It sniffed the air once, and then continued on his way. Ari let out a breath she did not know she had been holding. She stepped back and stepped on yet another body. She looked down, expecting it to be one of the uglies. She had to hold her mouth tight and squeeze her eyes shut to keep from screaming. It was her father.  
  
_____________________  
  
Stunned into a tearless silence, she knelt down and cradled her father's head in her lap. Lying nearby was Remart; she guessed Kyrtan was upstairs, heading the archers. Her father had 2 arrows sticking out of his chest, and many slash marks along his arms and abdomen. She bent down and kissed his head. How could this have happened? What did happen? She didn't understand and she didn't particularly want to. She pulled the arrows out of him with some difficulty, emotionally and physically. All of his and the uglies and other people's armor and weapons had been stripped, so she was mostly sure they weren't coming back. What could she do now? She had to tell someone, but who would care? What would they do? How would she get there? What if the uglies got her first? What did the uglies want? Too many questions. She lay down beside her father's dead body, slightly recoiling at first because he was so cold, but then settled into a restless and tortured sleep. ___________________  
  
Ari awoke later in twilight. It took her a moment to remember what had happened, but when she did, she spent the next hour weeping and grieving. The night before, she had given up hope for anyone to be alive. She had decided to leave Linderwall as fast as she could and never look back. It was too painful. She also vowed to learn how to fight, to honor those who died.  
  
Ari crept slowly and quietly towards the stables, hoping the uglies hadn't thought to kill or cripple all of the horses. On her way to the stables, she passed near Morwen's house. She knew that she shouldn't, but she headed towards Morwen's, to see her one last time.  
  
Morwen's house was burnt. Burnt to the ground. Ari stood there, staring, wondering what kind of race of things would do such a horrible thing. She made her way through the blackened doorway, past the still smoldering entrance room, and made way for Morwen's bedroom.  
  
Morwen was on her bed, lying there, looking surprisingly peaceful. No marks or anything was on or around her that would suggest she had struggled or was ever sick at all. Ari knelt down on one knee beside the bed. She felt so calm here. She whispered a small goodbye and headed towards the stables again.  
  
Ari got to the stables without seeing or hearing any of the uglies. Luckily, if such a word can be used; they didn't think to kill or cripple all of the horses. Well mostly. Two horses were left, a young foal and a full-grown black mare. She mounted the mare and with a silent 'giddy up' they were off. Ari didn't want to risk using the main entrance/exit, but she did remember a secret exit her father had told her about years ago  
  
They got to the secret exit uneventfully, but in their way, was a balled up blue object. She was too far away to see what it was, so she hopped off the mare (which she had named Chase) and approached it cautiously, not knowing what to do. First, she saw faint markings of decorations, such as lace, meaning it was a dress. Then, she got close enough to see a mess of red hair poking out. It couldn't be, she thought desperately. She stepped over to the body and rolled it onto its side. What she saw confirmed her worst fears. Ari's mentality, unable to support itself, collapsed, her bright green eyes brimming with tears.  
  
"Kath! Kath! Wake up!" she sobbed, not caring who heard her anymore, half- hoping someone would find her and put her out of her misery. "Kath, come back, Please!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, over and over until her throat hurt. She bent over and buried her face in Kath's side and cried until she was exhausted and then cried some more. *How could this have happened? What could I have done, anything I could have done to help them! But I didn't, I let them all die!* These and a million other thoughts rang through her head, searching for something that could've prevented this from happening. Too many thoughts, of Kath, of Rhysati, of her father, of her brothers, of Morwen, each of them bringing up a fresh deluge of tears. After she had cried all of the tears she had in her, she shakily got back on her feet and started towards Chase. But something caught her eye. Something in Kath's hand was glowing, something she hadn't noticed before. She turned back and gently pried Kath's fingers apart. It was a blue crystal, about the size of her palm, and was glowing with a pale blue light. She took it, holding it in her hand, warming it up, and turned around again towards Chase. Even though she did not know what it was, this would be the one thing that would forever remind her of Linderwall. She put the crystal in one of Chase's empty saddlebags, and galloped out of the exit without looking back. 


	3. On The Way to Rivendell

Ari had decided to head towards Mitheithel, a river, and then on to Rivendell. She didn't particularly like that idea; Linderwall and Rivendell had never been on very kind terms. She just hoped that the elves showed her some hospitality, and then point her in the right direction, whatever that direction may be. Who she was going to tell, why she was going to tell someone, and what exactly she hoped to accomplish, she didn't know, but hoped the elves would.  
  
It was the third nightfall since she had left Linderwall. To eat, she had found a few groves of berries, but Chase looked like she was on the brink of dying of starvation. Ari was feeling uneasy. A shadow of danger had continually drawn closer and closer. She forced Chase to get up. She got on and headed towards Rivendell.  
  
Ari was constantly looking around her to make sure no one was following her. That dark cloud was getting bigger and faster and to Ari, it felt only inches away. It made her skin crawl. And, to add on to that, Chase was getting slower and slower. Ari wondered if it would just be faster if she continued on foot and let Chase go free for the remainder of her short life.  
  
But to make matters even worse, she had had a terrible dream last night. So many images floated before her in the dream, few she actually remembered. An elf with white hair, a very short person, many uglies, a dragon, dwarves, and a beautiful lady elf with white hair that looked directly at her all appeared in her dream. Many scenes of destruction, and she could've sworn she saw Linderwall, in all its glory, standing there for the whole of Middle-Earth to see. But that couldn't have been real. What was the dream all about? Was it her future? But what did her future have to do with a dragon? She didn't recognize anyone though the elf looked strangely familiar. Just one more things to ask the Rivendell elves.  
  
Chase slowed to a walk and would not go any faster no matter how much Ari urged her to go. That shadow was getting closer. Why was it after her? She allowed Chase to go at a walk uneasily. She knew the uglies were very close. She was just starting to get Chase behind a very large tree and some bushes when they heard an unexpected sound, hoof beats.  
  
Chase was pawing at the ground nervously. Ari still couldn't see the riders in the dark, but they apparently knew where she was, they were coming right for her. She was trying to think of the best plan of action when something caught her eye. From the moonlight, she could now see three riders, not uglies, but she couldn't see what they were. Apparently Chase saw this as well, for she took off at full gallop on the opposite direction. Ari groaned, how could this be happening? And that's when it really hit her full force-she may not get out of this alive.  
  
The riders were gaining on her. As soon as they saw Chase, their horses seemed to fly right at them. Ari knew this was a race for her life, a race she had to win. She had no idea how to shake them off, and the way they were gaining, she knew there was no hope. She knew it, but refused to give up until the very end. She dug her knees and feet firmly into Chase's sides. Even though the poor horse was exhausted, terror drove her to go faster than she ever had before, but even that wasn't enough. Ari dared not look back, but she could already hear their horrible voices, speaking to eachother in a language made of screeches.  
  
The riders had just about come an arm's length away when there came an earsplitting bellow in front of them. Their quarry forgotten, the uglies' horses scattered in different directions. Ari smashed her hands over her ears, but even that couldn't cut the sound off. Her strong hearing made it feel like her eardrums were going to burst. Chase attempted to slow herself from hitting headlong into the thing in front of them by bending her front legs to the ground, but with all of her forward momentum, threw Ari, who was still clutching her ears, and her saddlebags to the ground over her front end. Ari stayed conscious just long enough to see an enormous green figure take off after Chase. 


	4. Strange and Unusual Places

Minutes stretched into hours as Ari slowly regained consciousness. She was in a dark, dank room that smelled slightly of mold. All she could make out was a slightly brown, gray, and green-ish stonewall. Somehow, she had gotten into a cave. She was in a bed, or at least something like a bed for it wasn't very comfy. She closed her eyes and slipped back into unconsciousness.  
  
"Ari, Ari!" a dreamy voice called out to her. "Be careful Ari, be careful. You must be careful. Be cautious. Don't move too fast and overlook important things. Don't hurt yourself. Be careful Ari, careful, careful, careful..."  
  
"Are you awake?"  
  
Ari sat bolt upright, looking wildly about to find the person who had spoken whilst her eyes adjusted to the bright light.  
  
"It's ok, it's ok, I'm not going to hurt you." Ari studied the man who was talking to her as he put down a lantern. He was tall, with dark hair and eyes. He leaned over and applied some green solvent on her arm where a deep gash was still slowly oozing blood. Ari looked at the man who had spoken to her. 'Man' isn't exactly the best word to describe him. He was thin, a little too thin for Ari's taste, and young, about 16 or 17.  
  
She finally stopped studying the poor boy and glanced down at her arm. There were a couple nasty looking gashes accompanied by a lot of dried blood. She could also feel some dried blood on her scalp as well. She put her hand up to feel how bad the cut was on her head but he gently pushed her hand back down. "Let those heal on their own," he said.  
  
"Uhh, are you hungry?" he asked hesitantly. Ari suppressed a chuckle at his amusing behavior and nodded her head yes. "Ok, then follow me."  
  
Up a passageway they went. Literally, up. They emerged from a cave that looked more like an over-sized rabbit hole, into a little clearing. But the clearing didn't seem natural. There were small mounds of dirt where Arianna guessed trees might once have stood, but were torn up by their roots. There were also burnt stumps littered throughout.  
  
"Sorry I don't have much. I usually just live here by myself, and scavenge for food. But I'll try to find something decent for you," he said, still a bit nervously. She gave him a slight smile. There were so many things she wanted to ask him, tell him, demand of him that she didn't know where to start.  
  
Then came the horrifyingly deafening sound again. 


End file.
